Imprisonment
by KousukeAsazuki
Summary: Kira has been captured and taken to Las Noches, thanks to none other than Ichimaru. Aizen allows his presence, but feels he must remind Kira not to distract Ichimaru. \\Ohgod. AizenKira, yaoi, non-con//
1. Hostage Situation

I have betrayed everything I have ever known by shipping this pairing and writing this story. I'm officially going to hell. Enjoy my sinning!

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How long had it been? Kira couldn't quite remember when everything had changed so drastically. He remembered staying after work late one night-- later than usual, anyway-- and being _very_ grateful when the pile of papers dwindled into nothing; remembered leaving his quiet, simple office as he always did (neat, perfect, orderly); remembered feeling a strange yet familiar presence as he headed toward the sake house where he knew Ikkaku and Renji and probably even Hisagi were already gathered.

Then it hit him. Like a sword to the chest or a punch to the face or-- _ohgoditwasreallyhim_. Ichimaru Gin, the traitor that had stolen so much more than Soul Society's trust-- most of it, or at least some of it-- in his time there. He was there, not directly in front of Kira with that grin, that _smirk_, on his face; no, he wasn't flashy like that. He hid in the shadows, but Kira knew he was there. He remembered it like it was yesterday-- had it been yesterday?

Things were tense, but tolerable, and then _he_ came, _he_ ruined it all. Kira was relaxing almost, though ready to bolt at any time, and then Aizen appeared. Calm, relaxed, assured as ever, but intimidating. Definitely imposing. Kira remembered it like it had just happened. Maybe it had.

No, he had been captured long before today. Long enough, at least, for his hair to lose its sheen and the stubborn streak he had built up in the lack of Ichimaru's constant presence to be, once again, crushed out. His fingers lightly grazed the empty sheathe at his side and he also remembered that. Somehow, he had lost Wabisuke, left him back in Soul Society. No, hadn't left, had been _forced _to leave by Ichimaru. _"Ya won't need that where yer goin', Izuru"_ he had said, then promptly opened a gargenta to the other side.

That didn't matter now. Not Wabisuke, not the sake house, not even his friends. Kira had been captured, albeit perhaps a bit more willingly than he should have been (though, really, who would try and go up against Ichimaru _and _Aizen alone?), and taken to Hueco Mundo. It was Ichimaru's request and Aizen had accepted rather pleasantly, so Kira was taken and locked away in some sort of holding cell. He hadn't seen much of either his former captain or the Espada leader since then. Whenever then was.

The door that led down a lengthy flight of stairs to Las Noches' prison creaked open, a burning ray of light cutting through the prison bars to fall slanted across Kira's wide-eyed face. A figure, broad-shouldered and imposing, blacked out against the single source of light in the dark, white-walled prison. And suddenly it was gone-- the light, the freedom-- and all that remained was a condescending and villainous glint in deep, chocolate eyes.

Aizen descended the steps slowly, haughtily, letting the recognition of his presence sink in and the fear overwhelm his captive. His smile, generally warm and deceptively benevolent, now twisted into a sinister and malicious smirk that stretched across his face. He paused once he reached the base of the steps, the frightened and hesitant look on the younger shinigami's face filling him with a sense of animalistic temptation to dominate the other even more.

"What's wrong, Kira-kun?" The warm, gentle voice did little to block the chill of the dank cell, nor the undeniable shudder that crept up Kira's spine at the man's presence. No sooner did Kira realize that Aizen had moved to only mere feet away from him, right on the other side of the bars, than he was speaking again. "I apologize for the inhospitable welcoming, but we had to make certain you wouldn't try to escape while we settled a few issues. I'm sure you understand."

Kira didn't respond, his shaky gaze locked on Aizen as the latter withdrew a key from his robes and unlocked the cell door. The thought of escape didn't even cross through Kira's mind as, instead of standing aside to let him out, Aizen drew closer to him, stepping inside of the small cell. Blue eyes watched as the Espada leader kneeled down in front of him and grasped his chin roughly between firm fingers and tilted his head upward.

"Gin seems to have taken more of a liking to you than I thought," Aizen said, no bitterness or jealousy in his voice. "And it's no secret how you feel about him."

"I don't-" Kira began quickly, but was paused with a single finger pressed lightly against his lips.

"Shh," Aizen murmured. "Relax, I only came here to assure that you'll behave yourself. I wouldn't want Gin becoming distracted all of a sudden." Kira felt the finger pull away from his lips and went to speak again, but was silenced a second time-- this time by a pair of lips covering his own.

Taking advantage of the younger one's shocked state, Aizen's hand came to tug Kira's sash loose. His fingers quickly found their way under the blonde's hakama, wrapping firmly around the sensitive flesh of Kira's member. The lips pressed against his opened in a sharp gasp and he seized the opportunity to deepen the kiss, slipping his tongue in and licking every inch of the sweet mouth. Long, pale fingers came to grasp desperately at his wrist and he tightened his hold on the length.

"I _said_ relax." The stress was gentle, but obvious enough for Kira to drop his hand and his gaze. He looked off to the side as Aizen's firm grip slid up and down his shaft, teasing the head with his thumb. He tried to suppress the shudder that ran down his spine, disgusted with himself for being aroused by the touches that reminded him so much of his old captain.

Aizen's mouth came down to suck lightly on Kira's neck, his teeth grazing the pale flesh as his hand quickly built up speed. He smirked against the skin as he felt the blonde's tension fade away and the smaller body start to lean into his. A soft moan reached his ears and his hand immediately stopped its ministrations, leaving a startled and flustered Kira to once again tense up and look away.

Ignoring the blonde's frustration, Aizen stood before him and expertly loosened his own hakama, letting it drop to the floor. Catching Kira's sights, a smirk played across his lips once more. "Must I give you instructions?"

Kira's gaze darted quickly to the open cell door and just as hurriedly back to the form in front of him. There was no way he could make it; no way at all. Hesitantly looking up at Aizen, Kira rose to his knees and promptly obliged the order. One of his hands wrapped around the thick base as he ran his tongue slowly up the shaft, rubbing it against the head. Aizen's hand came to rest lightly atop his head and a soft groan warmed the air as he took the elder's member in his mouth, sucking on the tip teasingly.

Impatiently, Aizen thrust himself deeper down the boy's throat. He felt sharp teeth bite down on his shaft and gave the blonde tresses a hard yank, smiling approvingly as the hot mouth began massaging his erection, tongue running up the underside of his length. As he felt his member harden fully under the surprisingly-experienced talents, Aizen pulled Kira away firmly by his hair.

"Get up."

Once again, Kira obeyed and rose to his feet, legs trembling underneath him. Before he had a chance to steady himself, the lieutenant was pushed roughly against the nearest wall, his already-loosened hakama pooling around his ankles. Aizen's body pressed against his own, pinning him to the cold wall as a hand came to lift one of his legs up and wrap it around the older one's waist. Tense, nearly frightened, Kira finally looked up to the ex-captain, but remained wordless. A finger prodding at his entrance warned him to brace himself for the coming intrusion.

"No struggle?" Aizen murmured, his mouth resting near Kira's ear, nibbling lightly on the lobe. "Good boy."

And then pain was all Kira knew; blinding and forceful, it shoved its way up his spine to the back of his neck and left him breathless. Of course Kira had been used more than once by Ichimaru, but the fox-faced man had nothing on the god-like one. Immediately, Kira's muscles tensed around the large intrusion and a pained gasp shot through his lips. His hand quickly found Aizen's shoulder and gripped it hard, biting back any further sounds of pain-- pleasure?-- that coursed through his body.

And then Aizen began moving, his hips fluidly moving into Kira's as he thrust deeply into the younger one. The tight heat that surrounded him elicited another soft groan of pleasure and caused Aizen to wonder just how often Ichimaru had been with his lieutenant-- it didn't seem that Kira was too used to his situation. Disregarding the thoughts as obnoxious and invalid, Aizen's mind was sucked back to the hand gripping his shoulder. As he felt Kira slowly relaxed into the rhythm, the pale fingers slipped down and instead clutched at the material of his jacket. Grinning lightly, Aizen petted the blonde approvingly as he gave a particularly hard thrust into him.

Kira's mouth found Aizen's earlobe and began sucking on it, nipping at the warm, soft flesh lightly. His leg tightened around the slim waist and a shudder rocked his body as Aizen's member struck a particularly sensitive spot inside him. Despite the tears that gathered at the corners of his eyes, Kira moaned lightly into the elder's ear. "Ai-Aizen-sama..."

Ignoring the boy's obvious arousal, the chocolate-haired shinigami gave a final thrust and released. He felt Kira slump against him and immediately pulled out, stepping back to let the blonde sink to the floor. He studied the crumpled form for a moment before gathering his hakama and sash and redressing. When Kira's eyes finally met his, he gave no look of compassion or satisfaction. "I hope we have an understanding, Kira-kun." Content with the confused and slightly desperate look he was given, Aizen turned on his heel. "I'll send someone shortly to show you to your room."

Wide, cerulean eyes watched the departing figure return up the stairs as quickly as it had come. That same beam of light fell across his face, now lightly dampened from sweat, and left him in the dark once more. It took a few moments for Kira to realize his entire body was trembling-- from what, he wasn't sure. Painfully carrying out the task of pulling his hakama up and fastening his sash, Kira slumped against the prison cell in a heap of confusion and distress. He idly realized that Aizen had left the cell door open, but was far from thinking of escape plans. Curling up as much as recent activities allowed him, Kira closed his eyes tightly and waited for whatever might come next.

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I might continue it if I get any/enough requests? I'm not really sure...who else is smoking as much crack as I am to like this pairing. Er...review?


	2. Let the Games Begin

It hadn't been soon, far from immediate, but Kira slowly relaxed into his position in Las Noches. A week had passed since Aizen had met him in his cell, a week of recovering, avoiding, and thinking. Of course, not all contact could be dodged and some corners didn't conceal the flutter of his (now white) hakama as he turned quickly upon seeing the approaching leader. All in all, though, the more Kira tried to avoid Aizen, the less he found he wanted to.

During the act, it had seemed like Aizen was just another Ichimaru-- cold with a lack of passion that raised questions of his ability to feel at all. He wasn't like that, though, Kira realized, not at all. The saying went 'the eyes are the windows to the soul' and Kira had hardly missed the irony of never gazing into his own captain's eyes. That was frightening enough, but Aizen--oh, Aizen was on a different level completely-- could keep his eyes _open_. Open eyes, still staring, still burning, yet still deceiving. What a man, what a _monster_, one must be to be able to be so open-eyed and deceptive. No, Aizen wasn't like Ichimaru at all, and Kira thought he must prefer Ichimaru.

_The true horror is the deception you cannot see._

During that week, though it was hard enough to count the days in a place with no sunrise or sunset, Ichimaru had visited Kira more than once. He hadn't outrightly said it, but Kira could tell his former superior knew what happened and felt threatened by it. Kira tried to reassure him, as subtly as he could, that he still belonged to Ichimaru as much as anyone, but it was to no avail. They both knew, Ichimaru perhaps better than anyone, that if Aizen wanted something, Aizen got it. They were also lucky, though, because there were few things Aizen truly desired and Kira (at this point) remained out of that category. Luck, though, always ran out eventually.

Kira knew today was the day that his luck ran out. Knew it from the moment he heard the unfamiliar knock on his door. Knew it from the moment he opened that door and saw Aizen's broad-shouldered and imposing figure looming over his own.

"Aizen-sama," he murmured, bowing. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Aizen smiled, like always, warm and inviting. He stepped past the younger shinigami and took a quick look around the room. He hadn't expected Kira to decorate any, having nothing to decorate _with_, but he was mildly amused that nothing seemed touched or out of place. Amused, but pleased.

"Have you made yourself comfortable here?" He turned as he spoke, awaiting an answer that could only be awkward and uncertain.

Indeed it was awkward; Kira himself was as such in the other's presence. "Yes, sir," he responded slowly, cautiously. He wasn't sure what prompted Aizen to come to his room, instead of simply summoning him to the throne, but it felt out of place to have the other shinigami there.

"Good." Approaching the smaller man, he brought a hand up to tilt Kira's face upward. The hesitant, almost fearful look he was given made him smirk-- this person was so timid, so fragile, so easily broken. It caused him to question the finesse in which Ichimaru had handled the blonde, to not have reduced him to broken pieces.

That was no matter, though. The longer Kira stayed, the further Gin slipped from his grasp and the more he disobeyed orders. Not that the silver-haired one was ever obedient, not in the way Kira would be, but sooner or later he fulfilled every wish Aizen imposed upon him. Lately, that quality had diminished to barely tolerable, and while punishing Gin might have seemed the most simple and direct method of correcting this flaw, Aizen was never one for simplicity or obviousness. No, he would take a roundabout method that would end up teaching Kira and Gin both a lesson.

Kira remained silent and steady, his eyes never wavering from Aizen's; trapped, perhaps, in the charismatic gaze. This man-- he should hate this man, who took Ichimaru away from him and harmed Hinamori (in more ways than one). And yet...

_Lipsandtonguesandhandsandhips._

Aizen claimed Kira's mouth with his own, easily and silently. His fingers pressed with bruising force into the pale cloth adorning the blonde's hips. A faint murmur of protest rose from the younger one, but it went ignored and quickly died off. His tongue pressed past parted lips and delved into every crevice it could. One of his hands reached up to tug at the light locks of hair, pulling Kira's head back into complete submission.

Shivers raced up and down the younger one's spine, his eyes shut tightly against the reality of the situation. Half of him resisted the forceful affection with every fiber of his body, but the other half couldn't help but be absorbed into warmth he had never felt before; kindness he had never known, as false as it may have been. Aizen's tongue caressing his, his hands rubbing slowly up and down his sides, fingers tangling firmly in his hair.

And then it was gone. The warmth, the affection, and the euphoric feeling of being a god's object of-- even temporary-- attention. Kira blinked a few times, waking back up to reality, and looked up at Aizen. His lips remained partly open, but his mind was far from forming any words to spill from them. He panted lightly, the kiss having been too involved not to take his breath away, and waited for Aizen to speak, to move, to kiss him again.

"That's enough for now," the gentle voice chided. He placed a hand atop Kira's head and smiled down at the younger one. He couldn't help but find amusement in the slightly disappointed slumping of Kira's shoulders; this would be easier than he thought.

Kira stood still as Aizen moved around him and left the room, as unexpectedly and quickly as he had came. Why had he stopped? Why hadn't Kira _wanted_ him to stop? For as long as he could remember, Kira had wanted nothing and no one but Ichimaru. He had hardly even looked at another since his involvement with the fox-faced man, but Aizen had changed that so quickly and so effortlessly. It left him to question his loyalty to the very person he had sworn he would live and die for. But that, Kira mused, was exactly what Aizen did. Though, he wasn't certain that his knowledge of this would stop the events that had already been set into motion.

_Of course they wouldn't, foolish boy. Aizen will have his way and you will suffer for it. But you like the suffering, don't you? **Don't you?**_

Voices spoke to him-- no, just one voice-- demeaning him further, exploring every dark thought and weakness he possessed. His hand clutched tightly at Wabisuke's hilt, head bowing in shame. The hissing voice wasn't wrong and he made no move to deny it.

Out in the hall, Aizen strode assuredly from the room just in time to catch Ichimaru arriving. The two gazes-- one close-eyed and the other openly confident-- locked for only a moment, neither man pausing for the brief conversation that took place.

"Aizen-sama, what ya doin' all th' way out here?" For Kira's room was from any place Aizen should have been.

"I was simply making sure our guest was fitting in."

Ichimaru didn't comment further, already at Kira's door. The grin slipping from his lips, he pushed the door open to see Kira still standing in the same spot, head hung low and unfocused eyes staring toward the floor. It seemed, as he had suspected, Aizen had done much more than a simple check up. Of course, when was Aizen ever simple?

"Ya don't look like yer makin' yerself at home." He waited for Kira to jump, as expected, and spin around to face him. By the time the uncertain blue eyes met his own, his grin was spread thin across his face once more.

"Ichimaru-sama." It had been a quick transition of titles from -taichou to -sama. It made sense, though, since neither of the shinigami had a right to associate themselves with Soul Society anymore.

Instead of replying, Ichimaru shut the door behind him and approached Kira. Before the younger one had a chance to react, he locked his arms around the thin waist and pulled Kira against his body. "What'd he do t' ya?"

Kira blinked a few times, unable to process the question. What did he do? Aizen, he meant, of course. The blonde then realized that he probably looked a mess and was jumpy enough to lead any suspicions to certainty. Besides, he was pretty sure Aizen's scent still hung heavy in the air around him. Still, Kira was hardly ready to go and confess that he'd been raped and certainly not ready to admit the reasons why. At least, the reasons Aizen had given him.

"It was nothing," he finally said, eyes never breaking from Ichimaru's.

"Ya gonna lie t' me now?" the silver-haired man asked, catching Kira's chin in his grip. He tilted the other's head upward and crushed their lips together in a cold kiss. His tongue easily snaked through Kira's lips and forced the blonde-- _his_ blonde-- into submission.

Kira was going to object, saying that whatever Aizen may have done wasn't important, but he hadn't had that chance at all. Ichimaru ravaged his mouth while hands groped his body and forced him backward until he came into contact with his bed and was pushed back down onto the mattress. The kiss broke for only a moment, just long enough for Ichimaru to straddle his hips and yank his head up by his hair into another, deeper kiss.

The dominant male felt his subordinate-- still, really, because Kira would never be anything else but that-- shudder underneath him and gave a grin of satisfaction. Whatever damage Aizen had done, it wasn't enough to pull the boy from his grasp, not fully, and a thread was all he needed to control his marionette. Pressing it further, Ichimaru ground his hips into Kira's and heard a soft moan slip between heated kisses.

His hand trailed down the younger one's chest and stomach before following a familiar trail of soft hair under his hakama. His fingers grazed Kira's member and felt the body under his tense only for a moment before responding favorably toward the touches. Indeed, Kira was still definitely wrapped around his finger and that was all he had needed to confirm.

For the second time that night, wanted (needed?) touches disappeared from his skin. Kira looked up, face flushed and body occasionally trembling with small waves of desire, to watch Ichimaru carefully. His throat was too dry to speak and even if he could have, he wouldn't know what to say to keep his superior from turning and leaving him. After all, Ichimaru's back was too familiar a sight for Kira to disown that quickly.

His door shut, Ichimaru having left without a word, and he collapsed back onto his bed. His eyes traced faint patterns on the ceiling, created by the pale light spotting in through the window, as his mind raced to make sense of anything that had happened that evening. All he could surmise, though, was that Aizen and Ichimaru were somehow conspiring to drive him insane, sexually or otherwise. Not that he didn't believe that had been his ex-captain's intentions from the very beginning, once he realized how maleable Kira's personality was.

Closing his eyes tightly, Kira's body refused to move upon his command and he quickly succumbed, muscles relaxing as he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

The next month passed like a frustrated blur for Kira. He felt like the prize of some sort of competition between Aizen and Ichimaru. The two had, on several instances, attempted to convince him that the other was no good for him. They both had their strengths-- Aizen his charisma and pure intimidation and Ichimaru his tight grip on Kira's heart-- but neither succeeded in fully claiming him. It was confusing, also, to try and determine _why_ either was so intent on making him theirs. Such curiosity sparked an awkward conversation one day over tea.

"Aizen-sama." Kira had thought long and hard how to phrase his questions appropriately, and finally came to a conclusion: There was no proper way. After all, as far as he knew, the game between the two older shinigami had yet to be acknowledged. He could tell, though, when he saw them together, that there was a tension that had never existed before.

"Hm?" Casual and comforting as always, Aizen's gaze penetrated Kira's weak defenses almost instantly. "What is it, Kira-kun?"

Looking down to his half-empty cup of tea, Kira quickly took another drink as if would steady his nerves any. "Why do you want me?"

Aizen raised an eyebrow, studying the smaller shinigami for a long moment before taking a sip of his own tea. "Whatever made you believe that I want you?"

Nearly wincing at the harsh words, though not unexpected, Kira thought to rephrase his question. "Then why do you keep me?"

"Do you wish I wouldn't?" A small smile graced his lips as he saw the blonde hesitate. "If it's your desire, I could always return you to Seireitei and let them handle you." The threat of exile from every place he'd known to call home combined with what Aizen was sure was a growing fondness for the god-like man and the boy's response was almost expected.

"I didn't mean anything like that," Kira said quickly, now becoming nervous. "I was just curious."

"Be careful," the chocolate-haired man warned. "Curiosity killed the cat, after all."

Sensing that the saying wasn't to be taken lightly, Kira willingly retreated back into silence with a short nod.

Deep brown eyes watched as the frail shinigami concerned himself fully with the cup in his hands and Aizen decided, for now, to leave him in peace. The boy was easy enough to deter-- he was by no means stubborn-- and it made for easily avoiding any questions that shouldn't be answered. Despite always seeming rather open, Aizen honestly detested those who pried too much about certain things; matters that were better left unknown to most.

Kira had undoubtedly noticed his efforts to pull him away from Ichimaru, as he had noticed the silver-haired man becoming annoyingly stubborn in destroying those attempts. It left him to question why he bothered with the issue at all. Waiting was boring after so long, though, and Aizen wished for some entertainment. Kira had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time and caught his attention. It was unfortunate, he mused, that the boy wouldn't survive his and Gin's increasingly-heated game of possession. More unfortunate, though, that he would be bored again so quickly. Perhaps by the time Kira had gone fully insane and needed to be done away with, his interest in Gin would be renewed. One could hope.

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Poor Kira, Aizen doesn't have much faith in him, does he? Then again, looking at how unstable he already is, I wouldn't, either. I'm not too sure where this fiction is heading, but I guarantee Aizen's interest will deepen to more than just a passing cure for boredom. Please review~


	3. Late Nights in Las Noches

Kira rarely had trouble sleeping, mostly because the short naps he did catch were from pure exhaustion rather than his internal clock telling him it was time to sleep. However, for some reason or another, this night was the ever-reliable exception to the rule. He wasn't sure what had caused the bought of insomnia (if that's even what it could be considered), but as heavy as his eyelids felt, they wouldn't shut for more than a few, brief moments.

Sighing in soft submission, Kira unwrapped himself from his covers and let his feet hit the cold floor. He knew it was rather dangerous to roam the hallways alone, especially at night, as most of the Arrancar refused to accept his presence. Naturally, those that rejected him were also the ones most willing to pick a fight with him and the ones least concerned with the consequences of such an action. Even more didn't mind his actual being there, but despised him for being Aizen's apparent object of interest. Whatever the reason, Kira had most of Las Noches ready and willing (not to mention very able) to take him , walking around the hallways alone really wasn't a wise decision.

Disregarding the danger in the interest of seeking out a cup of warm tea, Kira left the safety of his room behind and started his way down the maze of halls that wove throughout the footsteps echoed lightly in the large, empty halls, surely giving away his presence to any curious passerby. His eyes trained steadily ahead, Kira had to do a double-take when he saw a familiar figure present itself at the opposite end of the hall. Where had he come from? Kira couldn't quite recall.

"Aizen-sama," the blonde greeted with a bow.

A soft chuckle filled the corridor. "There is no need for such formalities upon every meeting," Aizen informed Kira as the latter bent back into a standing position. "I thought you were resting?"

"I tried," Kira assured him, "but I can't seem to fall asleep." If anything, Aizen's sudden appearance jolted him more awake. He started slightly when the older shinigami simply gave him a warm smile and moved around him to continue down the hall.

"Be sure not to exhaust yourself, Kira-kun."

"Y-yes, sir," Kira said, stumbling over his words slightly. Not that Aizen drug him off to the nearest room every time they ran into each other, but the sudden distance left him a little uneasy. Not to mention wanting. Sighing softly, Kira shook his head and made his way toward the kitchen. However, around the next corner met him with another familiar face.

"Maa, Izuru, I didn't think ya'd be up." Gin had been frowning in thought, but quickly covered it with his usual grin. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Just getting a cup of tea," Kira responded, "sir," he added on, nearly as an afterthought.

The silver-haired man slipped to Kira's side and snaked an arm around the thin waist. "Well, let me keep ya company."

"Thank you." A faint blush colored Kira's cheeks as he nodded, letting his superior guide him through the endless halls to his destination.

"I'll get it fer ya," Gin offered, pushing Kira lightly into a chair. "Ya hungry?"

Confused, Kira remained silent as he watched the grinning man maneuver around the kitchen."No, thank you." Both Ichimaru's and Aizen's behavior was odd this night. Perhaps he was dreaming? That wasn't possible, though-- he had never fallen asleep, even for a moment. His thoughts were interrupted with the clink of a cup being set in front of him, the scent of spiced tea drifting through the air. He murmured a soft 'thank you' before taking the warm cup in his hands and lifting it to his lips.

"Why didn't ya fight us before?" Gin didn't wait for Kira to settle himself before asking the question, his growing impatience getting the best of him. He waited as Kira froze in mid-sip, body tensed by the sudden question, a slight frown touching on his lips. "Well?"

Before. Before everything happened; before this increasingly-aggressive game of tug-of-war began; before Kira's loyalties and motivations were thrown into complete question; before things somehow managed to become even more complicated than they were.

Kira's mind flashed back to the night he was forced into Hueco Mundo. He recalled every detail so clearly. How Ichimaru had defended Aizen when Kira so blindly and foolishly attacked him (to keep him from visiting the recovering Hinamori, of course), how Aizen had so easily granted permission for Kira to join them in Las Noches, how desperate he had felt when Wabisuke was forced from his hands and left back in a land he could no longer call home (though, Gin had presented him with the zanpakutou a short time later, giving a dishonest and general apology).

Honestly, he wasn't even certain _why_. Yes, obviously it would have been foolish to do so, and if he had sincerely tried, he would probably be dead, but was that enough of a reason? Moreover, was it a true reason, at all? Kira decided against using it, and instead opted for silence and another sip of tea.

"Ain't gonna answer?" Ichimaru pressed, lips twitching only momentarily into a frown before recovering. "That ain't much like ya, Izuru. Ya growin' a backbone or somethin'?"

Again, Kira wasn't quite sure how to answer. The small sliver of pride he did have wasn't ready to willingly admit he had no will to fight the older one, but at the same time, his logical side was insisting that, _no_, he didn't have a backbone. He lightly shook his head in response and kept his gaze glued to the table in front of him.

Moving behind the seated blonde, Ichimaru placed his hands on Kira's shoulder, his grin a little more sincere at the light jump the action elicited. He leaned down, pressing the side of his face against Kira's, to whisper in his ear. "Ya shouldn't get so hung up over 'im, ya know. It'll only end up with ya gettin' hurt, an' as much as I like t' see ya in pain, sometimes, ya don' usually recover too well from the kinda hurtin' he does."

Kira felt the last bit of fight he had left in him drain from his body at the warning. He barely acknowledged the affectionate nip Ichimaru gave his ear before pulling away, and his hands tightened around the teacup in his grasp. He was probably right, Kira knew, and Ichimaru _would_ know better than anyone just how Aizen was. Even if he didn't, though, Kira could look back on Aizen's history and tell that he was neither a devoted nor loyal man. The passing interest he showed in Kira was just that, and the blonde was getting caught up in the little moments they shared.

The only problem was, even though Kira identified the problem, he was clueless as to the solution.

Glancing up from his reverie, the former lieutenant noticed that he was alone; Ichimaru had snuck out while he was lost in his thoughts. Sighing lightly, he finished off the small cup of tea in a timely manner and abandoned the kitchen in search of his room again. Whether it was the brief meetings with Aizen and Ichimaru, or the calm of the warm tea, Kira finally felt satisfied that he could rest now. The halls were winding, but easy to maneuver through once they were explored well enough.

"The fuck you think you're doin'?" Unfortunately, that was true for all of Las Noches' inhabitants.

Trying his best to keep calm, Kira turned to face a single figure behind him. White clothes signified that the other male belonged right where he was, and the immense spiritual pressure he carried with him denoted that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. An Espada, Kira immediately deduced, and a very angry one at that.

Grimmjow stalked toward the shinigami with a scowl, his teeth gritting at the mere smell of the kid. His lips curled up in a light snarl and his hands, shoved into his pockets, balled into fists. "I asked ya a question, or are ya too stupid to understand me?"

"N-no," so much for collected, "I was just-"

"Shut yer mouth," the blue-haired male snapped. "I don't give a fuck what you were doin'." He finally came to stop mere feet away from Kira, peering hard at the blonde. "Ya piss me off."

Kira gave the other a rather blank expression, unsure of how to react to the statement. "I..."

"Ya. Piss. Me. The. Fuck. Off," Grimmjow repeated. "I don't think I can dumb it down for ya anymore."

At a loss for words on how to respond to the rather unprovoked insult, Kira simply replied with a meek, "I'm sorry?"

"Sorry? The fuck are ya apologizin' for now?" Grimmjow's nose crinkled a little bit in the blonde's direction. There was something wrong with this one.

"I'm...not sure," Kira admitted. He was confused, a bit scared, and not at all sure of how to go about ending this conversation, if it could be called that.

"Fuckin' idiot." In the blink of an eye, Grimmjow's hand abandoned its place in his pocket and snapped out to grab Kira up by his collar. "I'm sick've lookin' at ya. Die." His other hand withdrew, at a slightly slower pace, a small, red light forming in the center of his palm.

Eyes widening at his first experience with a cero in such close proximity, Kira's instincts were to immediately reach for Wabisuke. His fingertips, however, had only just grazed the sword's sheath when another presence made itself known.

"Grimmjow." That was all it took for the deadly red light to cease and the Espada's attention to be focused elsewhere. Aizen gave his subordinate a pleasant smile, clearly meaning not-so-pleasant things would result if he continued with his current plan, and turned his attention to Kira as the younger one squirmed his way from Grimmjow's grip and joined Aizen's side.

"Tch," the Espada muttered, shoving his hands back in his pockets and turning from the pair."Just keep 'im outta my sight."

Not giving Grimmjow the satisfaction of his attention, the brunette looked down at the shaken blonde next to him. "You seem to be causing quite a disruption already."

"I'm sorry," Kira said quickly, bowing his head, "but...I'm still not sure what I did." In reality, he had done absolutely nothing but cross paths with the Espada. Apparently, that was enough to set him off.

"Don't let it worry you," Aizen chided, placing a hand lightly atop the other's head, "I expected him to react that way." What other way was there for Grimmjow _to_ react? He was likely a danger to keep around, but he served his purposes. Besides, he wasn't powerful enough to take out anyone of any importance.

Kira nodded lightly and chanced a glance away from Aizen and down the hallway. "If you'll excuse me, sir..." As awake as he had been during his near-death meeting with the Espada, he was once again becoming drained. If this volley kept up much longer, he may just pass out on the spot from mental and emotional, not to mention physical, exhaustion.

"Why the rush?" Aizen wondered, guiding Kira's face back to his with a light press of his fingers. "If you're tired, perhaps you could accompany me to my room?"

The implications were enough to guarantee that Kira wouldn't be getting any rest if he agreed. On the other hand, was he really foolish enough to disagree with Aizen? He lightly declined with a shake of his head-- if Aizen really wanted him that badly, he knew the elder would have no problem resorting to force or intimidation. It quickly became a question of how much Aizen respected him. Or, at the very least, how much he wanted him.

"I see." A look of mild dissatisfaction complimented his tone, and Aizen allowed his hand to drop from Kira's cheek. "I would be careful, if I were you, Kira-kun. You are no longer in a world of forgiving superiors and non-fatal punishments."

Kira's body remained rigid and frozen to the spot long after Aizen's presence faded. Had he just been basically told that if he denied his superior, that he would be killed? He shook his head lightly; he had known Aizen wouldn't be the same, benevolent character he was back in Seireitei, but was he _that_ cruel? Firmly reminding himself to never again tell that man 'no', Kira made his way in a daze back to his room, thoroughly exhausted.

* * *

Keep that pimp hand strong, Aizen, keep it strong. Hah, Grimmjow and Kira's 'conversation' amused the hell out of me; definitely my favorite part. I hope you enjoyed it, too~


End file.
